In a sale that made it possibly the most expensive fruit in the world, a banana duct-taped onto a wall sold for a staggering $6.2 million at a Sotheby’s auction in New York on Wednesday (November 20). Titled “Comedian”, the conceptual artwork by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan was purchased by Chinese crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun at four times its estimated value. The payment was made in crypto.
In a statement on his purchase, Sun said the work “represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community.”
He continued, “In the coming days, I will personally eat the banana as part of this unique artistic experience, honouring its place in both art history and popular culture.”
The artwork
The artwork is just a fresh banana affixed to a wall with duct tape. Its purchaser receives a roll of duct tape, instructions on how to “install” the banana and a certificate of authenticity guaranteeing it is an original work. The banana and the duct tape need to be replaced, as required.
Speaking to The Art Newspaper in 2021, Cattelan shared the thought process behind the work. He said, “To me, Comedian was not a joke; it was a sincere commentary and a reflection on what we value. At art fairs, speed and business reign, so I saw it like this: If I had to be at a fair, I could sell a banana like others sell their paintings. I could play within the system but with my rules.”
Its debut
Created in an edition of three, Comedian was first displayed at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2019 by Perrotin Gallery. While Cattelan had reportedly purchased the bananas at a Miami grocery store for approximately 30 cents each, the artwork sold between $120,000 and $150,000. One of these is now in the Guggenheim Collection. At the fair, the work also became part of a performance, when Georgian artist David Datuna removed the banana from the wall and ate it in an act he titled “Hungry Artist.” The banana was subsequently replaced.
Cattelan’s first work for a fair in 15 years, Comedian created a stir immediately, going viral on social media. It also led to commotion at the fair and finally its removal on the last day, due to “several uncontrollable crowd movements”.
The responses
While some have described the work as a well-conceived commentary on consumerism and art, others have panned it. Musician and author Brian C Nixon’s book Beauty (and the Banana) discusses the notions of beauty and has a duct-taped banana on its cover. It describes the artwork as “a commentary on the wild world of contemporary art, communicating how a culture understands, interprets, and engages with the arts.”
The creator
Known for his sardonic approach and questioning accepted norms through his work, Cattelan often dwells on humour and irony to provoke his audience. Shuttling between Milan and New York, the self-taught artist, who designed furniture early in his career, has repeatedly attracted attention for his unconventional approach and subjects.
Invited to show at an exhibition at the prestigious Venice Biennale in 1993, he made a statement by subletting his exhibit space to a perfume company. The Ninth Hour (1999) depicted Pope John Paul II lying on the ground under a meteorite, while Him (2000) had Hitler on his knees with folded hands. Reflecting on American society and politics, his 2004 sculpture Now depicted a suited wax figure of former US president John F Kennedy, dead in an open coffin.
Another of his much-talked-about works is America — a functioning 18-karat gold toilet, which was installed in a restroom at the Guggenheim Museum in New York from 2016 to 2017.
Estimated to be worth more than $4 million, it was stolen in 2019 from a restroom at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, England, where it was exhibited.
